Why mental health care is a right, not luxury

Treat mental illness like any other (Photo: iStock)

Mental health is not a luxury. It is not a Western concept. It is not something we can continue to whisper about behind closed doors. 

Across the country, many individuals are silently battling depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health conditions, often without the language to describe what they’re going through — let alone access to professional help. For women and girls especially, the pressures of economic strain, gender-based violence, and stigma around reproductive health only intensify mental distress.